Brixen / Bressanone, Sudtirol
Brixen / Bressanone
Dolomites in Sudtirol
The Sudtirol area of northern Italy was once part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, ruled by the Hapsburgs for 300 years. The 1919 Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye ended the Austro-Hungarian empire and ceded Sudtirol to Italy as war booty to compensate Italy for the tremendous losses Italian troops who died during the Great War. One of the bloodiest battlefields outside from the Western front were in Austrian alps and Dolomites where more than 750,000 Italian troops died.
Sudtirol is also known as Alto Adige for the Adige river which runs swiftly north to south through the steep valley toward Verona. The valley is lush from heavy rain and snow fall, and vineyards stretch along the hillsides for miles. The steep granite mountains, the Dolomites, are popular in the summer with hikers and in winters for skiers.
The principal town in Sudtirol is Brixen (German) or Bressanone (Italian). The Eisack and Reinz rivers meet in town where a major flood control project is underway to limit spring flooding which has left the city underwater for centuries.
Dolomites from Val Croce
Gasthaus Majestic
Our lodgings were at a charming gasthaus 2 kilometers up the hillside from Bressanone. We had spent a few days in an apartment in center of Bologna, busy traffic, crowded streets, and a bit shabby with graffiti everywhere. The Gasthaus Majestic Lucy found online turned out to be the opposite of how we lived in Bologna.
We had a spacious and very modern apartment with kitchen, living room, bedroom, full bathroom with a washing machine! And a balcony to sip tea and coffee before going down to breakfast. After a busy day touring Sudtirol, we came back every night to enjoy a glass of wine on our balcony, marvel at the view of snow-capped alps in the distance and the sound of a rushing creek below.
We stayed a week. Enjoyed every minute of it.
Travel buddy, good cook, occasional laundress, hanging wet clothes to dry in the morning sun.
The Majestic provided us with two Brixen cards when we arrived, a nifty and efficient way for tourists to get around the area without paying bus and museum fees. We used our Brixen cards three or four times a day, saving money, hopping on and off buses, getting into museums, traveling where we wanted using Brixen’s efficient public transportation.
If only the US had such efficient and modern public transportation in rural areas.
Plose to Val Croce
Cable car from Plose to Val Croce above Bresannone
Our Brixen cards allowed us to take a bus to Plose along winding hillside roads above Bressanone, then board a cable car to Val Croce, a 6000 foot high plateau with spectacular views of the Dolomites, numerous hiking trails, and lush pastures where dairy cattle were grazing, bells clanging, munching grass, and drinking from streams of fresh mountain water.
Even dairy cattle enjoy alpine views while grazing
Along hiking trail in Val Croce
Happy wife on the trail
Contented cows make the best milk and cheese
Nice to take a break on a handmade wooden bench with a view of the Dolomites.
Who you looking at?
Bressanone
Hiking into Bressanonne looking over Reinz river
We walked through Bressanone daily for sight-seeing, grabbing lunch and a glass of wine, or boarding a bus to travel to nearby villages. One Sunday, when buses weren’t running regularly, we hiked into town, down steep trails, passing terraced vineyards, crossing bridges until we reached Bressanone.
Along the way, we had nice views of town and the Reinz river.
Crossing bridge into Bressanone after Sunday morning hike
Into the historic center of Bressanone
Vipetino
Our travels around Sudtirol including visits to Luson, Vipetino, and Saint Ullrich, all charming alpine villages, scenic, and worth seeing.
Vipetino
Vipetino is a mountain village near Brenner and the Austrian border. It took our bus from Brixen almost an hour driving along a rushing river, crossing bridges, pulling off at villages to pick up and drop off passengers.
When we arrived, we spent a couple of hours strolling along cobblestone streets, having lunch, and stopping in a few shops.
Sausages hanging in macelleria (butcher) selling cheeses, speciality meats, bacon, wine, breads and cookies. We bought cheese and bread to take back on our bus.
Free samples!
Fresh prosciutto ready for slicing
Wanted to buy this sign in a Vipetino shop; too bulky to travel with.
We traveled through Sudtirol last summer on a train from Munchen through Innsbruck to Trentino, about 60 kilometers south of Bressanone. We enjoyed that trip so much, we wanted to return, stay in another town, explore the majestic Dolomites, scenic alpine valleys and villages. I’m sure we’ll be back!
Nothing like crisp mountain air, hiking alpine trails, and hearing cow bells to put a smile on your face.
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Next: Otzi, the 5500 year old man
We’re back in Europe for the summer, researching, traveling, visiting friends, and discovering new places to share with you.
My first international thriller, Thirteen Days in Milan, is now in paperback and also available as an ebook at the Apple iBookstore, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Smashwords, and other digital sites.
I’m researching the sequel to “Thirteen Days” in Milan and planning to release an Italian version soon.
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